The other day, in doing this post, I realized that a post I thought I had done never made it up. Back during my first embed, I came home via Landstuhl and Walter Reed. While I Landstuhl, I was privileged to be there when the wounded arrived and to learn about the process first hand.

There is a team there that receives each of the wounded. There are doctors, nurses, and others that help get them from the bus and inside for treatment.

That team includes a liason from the wounded's unit. Every unit downrange has a liason at Landstuhl, so that when the wounded come off the bus, they are met by someone from their unit. Someone who is there for them, to help them through the process, and to help their loved ones as well.

For the most severely wounded, there is a very special member of the team there, someone with the special duty of giving them back their name. When you are wounded, you are wisked into a process where your name really doesn't matter. The medics and docs are far more concerned with your wounds, with fixing you as best they can, and getting you to the right place for the right treatment at the right time. Nothing else matters, and at that point you are patient 123456789, with wounds X, Y, & Z. Your body, cast(s), or bandages may have notes written upon for the next doctor to see you. But when you get to Lanstuhl, unless you are crashing right there, a special moment takes place as you come off the bus. When you are secure on the stretcher, a chaplain is there, and leans down, and calls you by name, and tells you where you are, that you are safe, among friends, and that they WILL take care of you. You are now no longer Patient 123456789, you are yourself and in good hands.

While this particular chaplain is no longer at Landstuhl, others are. They are the first link to yourself, and hand you off to your liason and caregivers. When you arrive, they have the honor and privilege of giving you back your name.

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Giving Back Their Names

The other day, in doing this post, I realized that a post I thought I had done never made it up. Back during my first embed, I came home via Landstuhl and Walter Reed. While I Landstuhl, I was privileged to be there when the wounded arrived and to learn about the process first hand.

There is a team there that receives each of the wounded. There are doctors, nurses, and others that help get them from the bus and inside for treatment.

That team includes a liason from the wounded's unit. Every unit downrange has a liason at Landstuhl, so that when the wounded come off the bus, they are met by someone from their unit. Someone who is there for them, to help them through the process, and to help their loved ones as well.

For the most severely wounded, there is a very special member of the team there, someone with the special duty of giving them back their name. When you are wounded, you are wisked into a process where your name really doesn't matter. The medics and docs are far more concerned with your wounds, with fixing you as best they can, and getting you to the right place for the right treatment at the right time. Nothing else matters, and at that point you are patient 123456789, with wounds X, Y, & Z. Your body, cast(s), or bandages may have notes written upon for the next doctor to see you. But when you get to Lanstuhl, unless you are crashing right there, a special moment takes place as you come off the bus. When you are secure on the stretcher, a chaplain is there, and leans down, and calls you by name, and tells you where you are, that you are safe, among friends, and that they WILL take care of you. You are now no longer Patient 123456789, you are yourself and in good hands.

While this particular chaplain is no longer at Landstuhl, others are. They are the first link to yourself, and hand you off to your liason and caregivers. When you arrive, they have the honor and privilege of giving you back your name.

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The Authors

Former Paratrooper and Army Officer, "Blackfive" started this blog upon learning of the valorous sacrifice of a friend that was not reported by the journalist whose life he saved. Email: blackfive AT gmail DOT com

Instapinch
Bill Paisley, otherwise known as Pinch, is a 22 year (ongoing) active and
reserve naval aviator. He blogs over at www.instapinch.com on a veritable
cornucopia of various and sundry items and will bring a tactical naval
aviator's perspective to Blackfive. Readers be warned: any comments of or
about the F-14 Tomcat will be reverential and spoken in low, hushed tones.
Email: wpaisley AT comcast DOT net

Mr. Wolf has over 26 years in the Army, Army NG, and USAR. He’s Airborne with 5 years as an NCO, before becoming an officer. Mr. Wolf has had 4 company commands. Signal Corp is his basic branch, and Public Affairs is his functional area. He recently served 22 straight months in Kuwait and Iraq, in Intel, PA, and senior staff of MNF-I. Mr. Wolf is now an IT executive. He is currently working on a book on media and the Iraq war. Functional gearhead.

In Iraq, he received the moniker of Mr. Wolf after the Harvey Kietel character in Pulp Fiction, when "challenges" arose, they called on Mr. Wolf...
Email: TheDOTMrDOTWolfAT gmail DOT com

Deebow is a Staff Sergeant and a Military Police Squad Leader in the Army National Guard. In a previous life, he served in the US Navy. He has over 19 years of experience in both the Maritime and Land Warfare; including deployments to Southwest Asia, Thailand, the South Pacific, South America and Egypt. He has served as a Military Police Team Leader and Protective Services Team Leader and he has served on assignments with the US State Department, US Air Force Security Police, US Army Criminal Investigation Division, and the US Drug Enforcement Administration. He recently spent time in Afghanistan working with, training and fighting alongside Afghan Soldiers and is now focused on putting his 4 year Political Science degree to work by writing about foreign policy, military security policy and politics.

McQ has 28 years active and reserve service. Retired. Infantry officer. Airborne and Ranger. Consider my 3 years with the 82nd as the most fun I ever had with my clothes on. Interests include military issues and policy and veteran's affairs.
Email: mcq51 -at - bellsouth -dot- net

Tantor is a former USAF navigator/weapon system officer (WSO) in F-4E Phantoms who served in the US, Asia, and Europe. He is now a curmudgeonly computer geek in Washington, DC, picking the taxpayers pocket. His avocations are current events, aviation, history, and conservative politics.

Twenty-three years of Active and Reserve service in the US Army in SF (18B), Infantry and SOF Signal jobs with operational deployments to Bosnia and Africa. Since retiring he's worked as Senior Defense Analyst on SOF and Irregular Warfare projects and currently ensconced in the emerging world of Cyberspace.

The Authors Emeritus

Major Pain --
A Marine who began his blog in Iraq and reflects back on what he learned there and in Afghanistan. To the point opinions, ideas and thoughts on military, political and the media from One Marine’s View.Email: onemarinesview AT yahoo DOT com

Uber Pig was an Infantryman from late 1991 until early 1996, serving with Second Ranger Battalion, I Corps, and then 25th Infantry Division. At the time, the Army discriminated against enlisted soldiers who wanted use the "Green to Gold" program to become officers, so he left to attend Stanford University. There, he became expert in detecting, avoiding, and surviving L-shaped ambushes, before dropping out to be as entrepreneurial as he could be. He is now the founder of a software startup serving the insurance and construction industries, and splits time between Lake Tahoe, Boonville, and San Francisco, CA.

Uber Pig writes for Blackfive a) because he's the proud brother of an enlisted Civil Affairs Reservist who currently serves in Iraq, b) because he looks unkindly on people who make it harder for the military in general, and for his brother in particular, to succeed at their missions and come home in victory, and c) because the Blackfive readers and commenters help keep him sane.

COB6 spent 24 years in the active duty Army that included 5 combat tours with service in the 1st Ranger Battalion and 1st Special Forces Group . COB6 was enlisted (E-7) and took the OCS route to a commission. COB6 retired a few years back as a field grade Infantry officer.
Currently COB6 has a son in the 82nd Airborne that just returned from his third tour and has a newly commissioned daughter in the 4th Infantry Division.